Tag: love

Have you ever been at a loss for words when in a prayer group or ministry time and felt intimidated by those around you, especially the way they prayed and spoke over someone? My idea was, they prayed everything and so well and so eloquently, I possibly could not add to it. So therefore, I would not pray.

The Bible says some of the Apostles were unlearned men. But, they were with Jesus and spent time with him and learned to speak like Jesus.

Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Imagine speaking like Jesus! Do you think this is available for us today? I do.

So how did I learn to pray and not feel ashamed about saying what was on my heart?

Here are five steps that I learned along the way that can be of some benefit to you.

a) I listened to the way others prayed. I paid attention to their prayers and the words they used. I was especially impressed with how they were able to incorporate scripture when praying over someone.

b) Learn to hear the voice of God. There are many wonderful books on how to hear the voice of God. Just to mention a few authors: Shawn Bolz, Mark Virkler. Don´t just read the books, apply the principles taught in them. When you do, you will be pleasantly surprised.

c) Spend time in prayer and meditation of the word. God invented meditation, and it is something we are to do. It is simply repeating the scripture over and over. Writing down the verse will help you memorize it, and chew on each word.

d) Journal. Where would I be without my journal, I write everything down. In my prayer times, I express my gratitude, my love, my frustrations and prayer request. While journaling, don´t forget to listen and write down what you hear God saying back to you. Develop two-way communication. It is available to you and within reach.

e) Practice, step out in faith. There comes a time where you have to take the plunge and step out in faith. You will be surprised as you yield to the Holy Spirit, He will guide and lead you. Don´t worry if you make a few mistakes, we all have to start somewhere. The idea is to get going, and before you know it, your will have a flavored prayer life.

Start praying those awesome prayers inside of you. As you do, the receiver is blessed, and so are you.

What other ways have you learned about developing a prayer life? I would love to hear about in the comments.

We live in a very busy world. Everywhere we go, people and things are vying for our attention. It could be the latest cell phone, tablet, or book to read, the choices today are endless. Our families complain because we don’t spend time with them, our boss wants more of us, and we go to bed tired.

Our time is valuable.

If we are not careful, neglect can set it. We need to be intentional about what is important to us, how to prioritize and learn to say no to what is not beneficial in our lives.

One of the relationships we should never neglect is our relationship with God. We should not allow our spiritual growth to languish. This should be on the top of our list.

But where do we begin? How do we grow our relationship and faith with the Lord?

Here are a few tips. It is up to you how long you would like to spend in each section. Doing just a few of these a few days of the week and consistently, you will notice a change begin to happen inside of you.

Here they are:

Read your Bible. Yes, a very common one, but one that is often overlooked. Reading or hearing the word has become very easy. There are excellent Bible apps and even audio versions of the Bible.

Resist the sins of the flesh. The world is full of advertisements, and the world portrays evil as good. Sexual sin, pornography, addictions are strongholds. It’s best to avoid them then fall into their trap.

Help where you can in your church. Our pastors and leaders need us. Helping, even in the most minimum of way brings gratitude to your heart. If you see a void, fill it. If unsure, ask and it will be given to you.

Learn to surrender. We love to hold onto things, to be in control of our lives, family, and circumstances. But there is One who holds our future in His hands, and He really does know best. In a struggle, surrender to God and peace will fill your heart.

Practice gratitude. Thanking and giving thanks with a sincere heart causes the enemy to flee seven ways. Even when things are not going well, I am sure you can make a list of many things to be grateful for. Go ahead, say them out loud, and experience the gratefulness that fills your heart

Practice love. Learn to love like Jesus did. Avoid strife, gossip, and contention, and learn to walk away from arguments.

Learn to hear God´s voice. Yes, you can hear God´s voice and receive peace and guidance. There are many excellent books and teaching if you are unsure where to begin. I would like to recommend Mark Virkler Book, 4 Keys to Hearing God´s voice.

I hope these are useful for you. If you know of other tips, please share them in the comments, I would love to hear from you.

More than ever, we live in a busy world. Not only a busy world but a world where evil is increasing. Every day there is a shooting, killing and terrorism is mounting. Because of this, it is quite easy to be fearful, worried and stressed out.

This can cause us to be extra cautious with our time, our lives and places we visit. It can also bring about cold love.

What is cold love? The best I can describe it, you lose passion. I am not talking about a passion between husband and wife, but a passion for serving and loving your brothers and sisters in Christ, and love as Christ loves us.

The Good News Bible says this: Matthew 24:12 Such will be the spread of evil that many people’s love will grow cold.

The spread of evil. We see this today. Because of this evil, love will grow cold.

I hope I don’t find myself in that category.

Because of the busyness of life, we find ourselves stressed, and without time for friends, family, much less intimacy with God.

It is unavoidable that at some time in your life you were hurt. People are human, we fail, we lash out, we hurt those around us. The hurt and bitterness play a role in having your love grow cold.

To avoid having cold love, forgive the person who hurt you and repent of your attitude. God gives you a way out of the pain, it´s called love. Choose to embrace His love, healing, and forgiveness.

This process brings health and wholeness to all areas of your life.

When there is love, there is commitment. The measure of your love is found in the depth of your commitment.

Please don´t allow the past hurts of your life determine your future. Don´t withdraw from being committed to loving.

Use opportunities to grow. When you stumble over the hurt and pain that has been caused by others, do you get back up and continue loving, or do you allow that painful experience to hold you back from giving your all?

Don´t let the enemy win. God gave His best for us, His only son. I cannot think of a greater act of love.

I don’t know where I would be if it were not for the commitment of my friends, family, and church towards me. Because they have shown me love, I chose to do the same, and hope to influence others around me with the pure love of Christ.

Remember, God is not looking for perfection, just obedience, and a willing heart.

Christ accepts us in our imperfections, we should do the same with those around us.

While the enemy would love for us to see these setbacks as problems, make it a problem for him, don´t fall for it. Choose not be filled with hurt, anger, and bitterness, instead, choose to be filled with the love of Christ.

Show the devil love wins. Remember, the highest form of love began on the cross.

In Reading John Bevere’s book, Good or God, there is a section where he talks about his love for Jesus. He compares it with dating, where all you do is think about the person you love, all day, every day.

I am sure we have seen couples where all they do is hold hands and look into each other’s eyes. You can’t pry them apart. They spend all day with each other, and if that was not enough, they spend the evening talking on the phone.

That is the love John Bevere talks about that we should have with Jesus, continually, every day, ALL. THE. TIME.

So I had to ask myself: Do I have that type of love for Jesus? Do I think about what it was like for Him to be hanging on the cross while I was still a sinner, the pain and humiliation He endured for me? Do I imagine what it must have been like for Him to carry the entire weight of sin on the cross, because of His love for mankind?

Somewhere along the way, the honeymoon turned into a routine. I pray, read the Bible, pray for others, go to church, thank the Lord and start all over again.

Col 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth

So where is my mind?

Is my mind on the doing the work of the ministry, or the One that gave me the ministry?

What do we seek?

Do I seek recognition, acknowledgement, or an intimate relationship with Jesus?

I don’t want my love for Jesus to be a routine, where it can get bored and I lose interest. I want that spice back, to fall in love with Jesus all over again. I want to set my mind on things above, Jesus, and His love and goodness for me.

As I started to purposely think about Jesus, especially before going to sleep, I noticed a change taking place. Jesus began to fill my thoughts, not my to do list and worries.

This is certain: The more I meditate on Jesus and His goodness, the more I fall in love with Him all over again.

Try to purposely think about Jesus and His love for you, and He will invade your heart all over again.